AWD service soon light


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Old 11-27-14, 01:16 PM
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AWD service soon light

2005 GMC AWD Safari van.

Dash light warning "AWD service soon"


Over the past year if I should get into heavy snow and need to "push" the van by rocking from Neutral to Reverse or Forward (or need to accelerate through high or heavy snow) I'm getting the above warning and apparently loosing 4 wheel drive. When van is left to cool the light goes out and all is normal. Recently it stays on longer and longer. When light is not on and driving conditions are normal I do not know if AWD is working or not. Any idea what I might be looking at for repair?
 
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Old 11-27-14, 02:07 PM
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AWD is new to me since I'm a 60s, 70s & 80s mechanic but there are a lot of hits on Google.

Search for "AWD service soon safari"
 
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Old 11-27-14, 02:36 PM
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If you read your operator's manual, I believe it will mention the taboo of rocking the car from forward to reverse gear in such situations. It is not a good idea on any vehicle, as it will overheat the components prematurely, causing the system to kick out. Once cooled it may revert to normal, but it has been stressed. It may not need a "repair", but just fluid change. You'd need to check with a dealer or reputable mechanic to see what it will entail.
 
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Old 11-27-14, 06:24 PM
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I tried not to do the forward to reverse thing but more of a park to reverse or just park to forward. I'm hoping it's just a fluid change, but I don't know if that means the transmission or the transfer case or both.

Pulpo, Never thought to Google it.
 
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Old 11-28-14, 03:34 AM
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I don't know anything about your particular vehicle but a transfer case is closer to a standard transmission than an automatic. It doesn't have all the valves and such that the auto tranny does. While it doesn't hurt to change the transfer case fluid out too, I don't think it would make as much difference as changing the trans fluid will.
 
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Old 11-28-14, 03:47 AM
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As Pulpo suggested I went to Google. It seems other who've had this problem replaced the encoder motor. However, they all mentioned hearing a 3 x's clicking sound from an under dash relay. I'm not getting that.
 
 

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